Ring guard with spring pressed pivoted member



May 15, 1956 P, GRAFSTElN 2,745,266

RING GUARD WITH SPRING PRESSED PIVOTEID MEMBER Filed May 28, 1953 II!!! I 4 /7 INVENTOR far/5e ff/FJT/A/ 3632 m /6 75 7 ATTORiEY United States Patent RING GUARD WITH SPRING PRESSED PIVDTED PJIEMBER Peter Grafstein, New York, N. Y., assignor to Axel Bros, 1112., Long island City, N. Y., a corporation at New York 7 Application May 28, 1e53, Serial No. sas es Claims. c1. 63-156) This invention relates to a ring guard similar to that disclosed in my pending application Serial No. 311,350, filed September 25, 1952, and of which application the present case is a continuation-in-part.

As is well known, the purpose of a ring guard is to accommodate the interior periphery of a ring to various sizes of fingers, within certain limits, and the principal object of the present invention is the provision of a ring guard removably associated with a finger ring and which will automatically adjust itself to the size of a finger inserted in the ring and which will provide a secure but gently yielding hold for the finger ring upon the finger.

Another important object of this invention is the provision of a ring guard which is readily insertable into and as readily removable from a recess usually provided within a finger ring, thereby facilitating cleansing of both the ring and the ring guard proper.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a self-adjusting ring guard which is adapted for removable association with a recess within a finger ring, and which ring guard comprises a substantially one-piece 2,745,266 Patented May 15, 1956 tured, and wherein substantially pocket-forming, hollow mobile elements are operatively suspended between the flanges of said channel formations, said elements having relatively large or broadened ends facing and adjacent to one another and relatively small or reduced ends, the shape of the mobile elements being substantially triangular, and wherein the reduced ends of the mobile elements are pivotally supported at the exterior or outer ends of the carrier, and wherein said elements are thus operatively mounted within the channel-shaped formations of the carrier and are adapted to normally project through the apertured webs of the channel formations beyond the interior periphery of the carrier, and wherein spring means are provided within the channel-shaped formations of the carrier for urging the elements to their normal outward position.

The foregoing and still further important objects and additional advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the ensuing description in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a plan view of a ring with a broad jewel mounting provided with a ring guard according to this invention;

Fig. 2 is a section through the ring taken along lines 22 of Fig. l with the ring guard omitted;

resilient carrier or frame which is adapted to snap into 7 and to tensionally engage the recess, and wherein the in sertion of the carrier into the recess and its removal therefrom can be eifected without the use of special tools, and wherein at least one mobile element is operatively associated with the carrier and is adapted to be movable through certain portions thereof and to normally project into the finger ring interior and to be depressible into the recess of the finger ring, and wherein resilient means are provided with the carrier for urging the mobile element to assume its normal, projecting position.

Still another object of the present invention is the provision with a finger ring, having a recess arranged in back of its jewel mounting, of a ring guard comprising a resilient, arcuate carrier adapted to be replaceably secured within the ring recess by being sprung thereinto and firmly held in position, and which carrier comprises a structure having a central portion and two symmetrically disposed end portions, and which end portions are provided with flanges forming channel shapes, and wherein the Webs of the channel shapes are pierced or perforated to provide elongated apertures between the flanges, and wherein mobile elements are operatively secured between the flanges and are adapted to pass through the apertures and normally project into the interior opening of the finger ring equipped with the ring guard, and wherein spring means are provided with the carrier and are so constructed and arranged as to urge the mobile elements normally to an outward position, that is to a position at which they project beyond the interior periphery of the carrier.

A more specific object of the present invention is the provision of a replaceable finger ring guard comprising a resilient, arcuate carrier having a central portion and two symmetrically arranged end portions, the latter comprising substantially channel-shaped formations, and wherein the web of these channel formations are aper- Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical fragmental section through the ring equipped with the ring guard in various positions;

Fig. 4 is a section taken on lines 44 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 illustrates a plan view of the ring guard;

Fig. 6 is a top view thereof;

Fig. 7 is a bottom View of the ring guard;

Fig. 8 is a section taken approximately along lines 8-8 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 9 is a section taken approximately along lines. 99 of Fig. 3.

Referring now to the drawing, I have illustrated therein a ring body or shank 10' that is provided with an elongated jewel mounting 26. In the rear of the jewel mounting there will be observed a recess 11' having pocket-like ends 13 (Fig. 3). Snapped into the recess is a ring guard shown more clearly in Figs. 3, 5, 6 and 7 and comprising a carrier or frame 14 having a central portion 15' and side or end portions 16', which are symmetrically arranged relative to the central portion. The latter is provided with end lugs 27 which are perforated-as at 28. The side or end portions 16' are provided with flanges 17' forming channels. The webs of the channels are apertured as at 18' for the reception of mobile elements 19'. The latter constitute pocket-like formations shaped substantially triangularly and having broad and narrow ends. The broader ends have end walls Zll which are slotted as at 29 (Figs. 3 and 8). The narrow ends of the elements are crimped in at 30 as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4. A similar crimping is provided in flanges 17' as indicated at 31 in Figs. 4 and 5. The crimping of the element ends and of the flanges provide pivotal or hinge suspensions for the elements. Held between the crimped hinged portions of elements 19' is a spring structure 32 which is slidable relative to crimped areas of the elements and relative to carrier 14'. This spring structure comprises long legs 33 terminating in end hooks 34, and short legs 35. The legs are bent against one another as clearly shown in Fig. 3 to form semi-loops. Long legs 33 pass through slots 29 of walls 20' and their hook ends 34 engage apertures 28 of lugs 27. Thus legs 33 of the springs are fixedly held in position by the lugs. The shorter legs 35 of the spring structures bear against the bottoms of elements 19, thereby forcing them to their normal, outward position in respect to carrier 14'. Obviwithout the use of tools.

' responding recess end 13.

ously the elements 19 are depressible into recess 11' against the action of corresponding springs 32;

As will be evident from an examination of Fig. 3, long legs33 of springs. 32 are relatively stationary and serve as operating guides for elements '19 in that they pass through slots 29 of the element end walls 20'. Moreover, legs 33- and slots 29 limit outward movement of the elements as clearly shown in Fig. 3.

v The ring guard may be readily mounted in the ring as will now be briefly outlined, having reference to Fig. 3. One end of the guard, as shown by dot-dash lines in this view, is inserted in one of recess ends 13. The remainder of the guard is next swung upwardly until its other end contacts the inner surface of the ring body. The guard is then flexed by exerting suflicient upward force to cause said other end of the guard to snap into the other recess end 13'. 'This can all be accomplished by hand Upon release of the guard, the parts assume the relative positions shown by full lines in Fig. 3.

The guard may also be readily removed from the ring, as required. in this connection, one of the mobile ele- .ments 19 isgripped by a suitable tool, such as a small pair of pliers, and carrier 14 is again flexed upwardly to permit withdrawal of an end of the carrier from the cor The guard is then swung inwardly of the ring body and completely disengaged therefrom.

In addition to the fact that the ends of carrier 14' of the ring guard snap into position when placed into the Y recess, semi-loops 32 connecting the two spring legs exert in the broad scope of the present invention as defined in the annexed claims.

What is claimed as new is:

1. The combination with a finger ring body that defines a finger-receiving opening and that is provided with a recess which is open along the inner periphery of the ring, of a ring guard comprising a resilient frame registering with the recess and having snap engagements with the ends of the recess whereby the frame is frictionally held in the recess, said frame being'substantially wholly contained in the recess and comprising a body and a pair of spaced lugs carried by the body and projecting into the. recess, said lugs being disposed intermediate the ends of connection with the frame and having a slot formed therein, a pair of spring means, each spring means engaging a mobile element and the frame, a portion of each spring means extending through the slot of a corresponding mobile element and fixedly engaging one of the lugs, each spring means normally and yieldingly urging and moving the corresponding mobile elements about its pivotal connection with the frame to project such mobile element into the finger-receiving opening to the extentallowed by the corresponding slot.

2. The combination according to claim 1 wherein the lugs are struck from the body, each mobile element in cluding a bottom wall, and each spring means comprising a one-piece bent spring that engages the corresponding hinge means and that includes a leg which bears against the bottom wall of the corresponding mobile element.

3. The combination according to claim 1 wherein each mobile element includes a pair of spaced resilient side walls, said hinge means comprising projections carried'by the frame and registering with depressions formedin the side walls.

4. The combination according to claim I wherein each mobile element includes a bottom wall, each spring means consisting of'a one-piece spring comprising a first leg which extends through one of the slots and engages one of the lugs, a second leg which bears againstthe bottom wall of a mobile element and a portion intermediate said legs and engaging the corresponding hinge means.

5. The combination according to claim 1 wherein the lugs are strucks from the body, each mobile element including a bottom wall and a pair of spaced resilient side walls, said hinge means comprising projections carried by the frame and registering with depressions formed in the side walls, each spring means consisting of a one-piece spring comprising a first leg-which extends through one of the slots and engages one of the lugs, a second leg which bears againstthe bottom wall of a mobile element and a portion intermediate said legs and engaging the corresponding hinge means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,615,314 Axel u Oct. 28, 1952 

